Living in the Future's Past

Stunning success heralding a wonderful opportunity for sharing the power of film, particularly to highlight women’s voices and stories, and to spotlight the plight of Mother Earth, the woman in all our lives! We were honored to have both Jeff Bridges and Jamie Redford present their films (Living in the Future’s Past and Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, respectively), and interact with audiences. Both expressed delight at the outcome of the Festival:

“Wow, what a pleasure it was to be a part of the BZN International Film Festival. One of the best I’ve ever been to… I’m looking forward to the next!” said Bridges. “It was an honor to participate in the inaugural launch of BZN,” said Redford. “The films, the panels, the gatherings — all were a passionate extension of Bozeman, one of the most cherished cultural hubs of the Rockies.”

We were also pleased to welcome Ted Turner, who remarked; “As a film-lover, it was heartening to attend BZN— I’m encouraged to see such high regard for intelligent filmmaking.”

Accepting the Spirit Award for Mankiller, the film she produced with Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, Gale Anne Hurd was unabashedly emotional: “Quite honestly, the quality and organization of this Festival just blew me away. To think it is the inaugural event is nothing short of amazing, and it couldn’t happen without community support.”

Community spirit was noted by many attendees, including Carl Effenson of Austin, whose film, Mudbound was nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. “I’m impressed with the organization and the programming; this Festival is about the movies, not about the parties; I respect that.”

In addition to attracting such well-known talent, BZN focused on many wonderful local filmmakers, actors, and directors, as well as international attendees screening 70 films. Perhaps what I’m most proud of is the community involvement the Festival generated. Partnering with the School of Film and Photography at Montana State University, we held 16 Festival Conversations—panel discussions on diverse topics related to the films presented. Bozeman city officials had stated their priorities as housing, domestic abuse, and the opioid crisis. Folded within our spotlight on women in film and films about environmental issues were these issues—with a focus on solutions.

Please visit www.bozemanfilmcelebration.com to learn more about our ‘mission in the mountains.’